Gas-producing apparatus.



No. 883,256. PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

J. S. SMITH.

GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1904.

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JACOB s. SMITH, or canned ILLINOIS.

GAS-PRODUCING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 18, 1904, Serial No. 218,929-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I JACOB S-..SMr'rH, of the city of Chicago, in t e county of Cook and My invention further relates to a gas-pro ducing apparatus. in which a closed retort is heated externally, but more particularly to that in which the retort derives its heat from the internal combustion of the gas-producing materials employed therein.

In the manufacture of gas from hydrocarbons there is always resent dissociated h drogen, the volume 0 which is substantial y increased when steam is used in conjunction therewith, which dissociated hydrogen, owing to its specific gravity, is the first to escape from the generator or the cupolas and flows into the scrubber and is thence discharged into the main, while in the meantime the mixed gases pass more slowl without taking u or combining a full portion of this disso- I elated hydrogen, with the result that the heat units of a gas produced from a given amount of hydrocarbons and steam injected into a generator-retort are reduced in numbers and degree corresponding with that otherwise producible by the combining of this dissociated hydrogen with the hydrocarbon vapors previous to their discharge into the scrubber, the gasometer, main, or other receptacle, and as their volume is uite large the desirabilit of their fixedcom ination is pro ortionate y desirable and important.

he prime object of my invention is to gasiiy hydrocarbons and to provide means so controlhn the dissociated hydrogen of steam liberated uring the eneration-of gas in the generator or retort t at the fixed combination of substantially all of the dissociated hydrogen and other elements with the carbon.-

, vapors is insured, and the heat'units of the gas produced is correspondingly increased.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1908.

Another object is to provide means reducing a continuous return circulation 0 gas through a luralit of carbureters and concurrently tlierewit a discharge of a portion of the gaseous contents of the carburetors to the scrubber or other receptacle.

. A further object is to provide means where by hydrocarbons sup lied at an point into or between a plurality of car ureters, or either of them, aresubjected to and mixed with gaseous products at the point of their discharge from the generator, and thereby correspondingly raised in'temperature before they are disc arged from the carbureten.

A still further object is a as generator or retort so constructed in itsei and provided with hydrocarbon, steam, and air injector so arranged as to substantially promote the breaking up of its composition, mixing and combining atoms and their exposure to heat, and therefore the volume of fixed as evolved from any iven quantity of sai materials and each 0' them when supplied to the generator in whole or in part.

7 With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the con struction and combination of parts by which the said objects and certain other ob'ects hereinafter appearing are attained, a fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a gas-producing apparatus embodying my invention, with a gas-generator, carburetors, scrubber, the overflow for the latter, and a coal-tar, receptacle shown in vertical and ion 'tudinal section and an exhaust-pump an its connection with the scrubber in side elevation. Fi 2 is an enlarged end view of the injector or hydrocarbon, steam, and air-to the enerator. is an enlarged vertical section, in part, of the combustion-chamber, of the generator retort, and a ortion of the same above the combustion-c amber.

. Similar letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A represents a brick-lined generator, retort, or cu 'ola, ent of the. rick lining is built a cone-s aped combustion-chamber having an inner or f breaker wall 1, and so termed because the injected hydrocarbons or other liquid emwithin which and inde endrio- int'o'thesi 65 rotor B.

*- plo ed are-injected against said wall with suc force and violence as to substantially break up and thereby promote the atomizing of-said liquid, to which end there is an -5, oponing3 in the wall of the generator-retort opposite said breaker-wall, a pipe 6, inclosing a steam-supply pipe 7, but larger in diametor, forming an annular chamber through which the hydrocarbons may be supplied and carried forward by the steam-pipe 7 against the breaker-wall, the said ipes 6 and 7.being so arranged that they may o readily changed 5 to adapt thorn for thicker or-thinner fluids, as

desire The hydrocarbon-pipe 6' is surrounded by a number of small steami'pes' 8, and all of said pipe ends and their ischargo-openings point so as todischarge directl against the r'eaker-wall in a line preferab y at a right '20 Mile thereto, the steam-pipe 7 being proscribed is what for convenience is termed a combustion-cone"? 12, provided with an 3oo ening 2, the apex of-tho-cone terminating a ut one-fourth the length of the retort above its bottom. Supported by this-cone is achecker-work 4, which projects upwardly in the generator-retort in a plane ator just above the discharge-orifice 5 thereof. The Is thin diameter. of the chockor work 4 is "sue that there is formed between it and the side and top wal'ls. of the retort a va orizingchamber 4 for hydrocarbons inj octe through tho pipes 9' respectively at the side and top of the generator and as may be at as many diflor ent points as seem desirable, and pipes 23 and 24s are inserted within pipe 9 for the introduction also ofste'arn or air, or both, as do- -5 sired.

the side 'of a carburetor at or near the lowor ond thereof, which carburetor is filled from its bottom practically to the top with a checker-work 5*, into which hydrocarbons- Inay be discharged throu' h a number of pipes 9 at intorva s of its si e and also in the to thereof. Next the carburetor B is an- 0t carburetor C, which two carburetors aro connectod by apipe or passage 11 at their sides and at or near their u per ends, the carburetor C be' filled Witii checkerwork 5* in-substantia ifi not the identical manner of carburetor and carburetor 0,- 6p like carburetor B, may'be supplied with hy- 4 dr'ocarbons through the pi .9, projecting through its upper end, an a may also have tort or pipes for the" same pur ose opening "es thereof, as" shown or the carbu whenco it discharges into the scrubber and The" discharge orifice or g'p'efi opens into usual in scrubbers, the lower end of the scrubber being provided with a pipe 16, discharging into a receptacle 17 at a point near its bottom, which receptacle has a dischar e or overflow pipe 18 at a-point above the dlscharge end of pipe 16 and at or toward the upper end of the receptacle for the discharge of water and coal-tar flowing from the scrubber down through the pipe 16.

The as in the scrubber is discharged therefrom t rough a pipe 19, opening into the scrubber at or near its top, connected with an exhaust-pump F, from 'which the gas is forced onwardly through a pipe 20 to the main, gasometer, or other rece acle, the oxhaust-pump also serving to ex aust'gas from the generator as fast as generated, thence upwardl through the length of the carburetor B an(- downwardly through the carburetor G into the lower portion of tho'carbureter,

from the scribed.

From the construction so far described it willbo seen that the asos from the generator after passin upwar y the full length of the carburetor are thence forced to descend through the entire lengthof the" carburetor C before dischargin into the scrubber and that the dissociated ydro'gon ton-ding to accumulate in the upper portions of the carburetors B and C may bemade to combine with upper end thereoi, as before dethe carbon-vapors resulting from the volatilizing of h drocarbons supplied through thepipe 9 int o carburetorsor entering from the onerator A. In order, however, to insure as no far as possible aperfoct combination with the carbon-vapors of all dissociated hydrogen, the best results are secured by not only reconducting a portion of the gases from the carburetor 0 back to the carburetor B by 11 means not interfering with the continuous discharge of a portion of the gases in the" carbureter O to the scrubber, but at such a point 1 in the carburetor B as will compel the returned gases to' traverse the length 0f the carburetor and direct] across the path of the asos discharging cm the generator, at whic point there exists the highest degree of heat possible in the carburetor B. To these ends the bottom ends of the carburetors are coupled together by a return-pipe E, the diamotrical bore of which is. somewhat less than the bore of the dischar e-passagos 5, 11, and

l3-,.-w'hich return-pr is provided with a fan 65, cooled by acirculation of water thero- 1 ogenerator through the pipe 6 and ignited.

The pump F is then started, and when the. combustion-cone 12 has become sufiiciently heated steam is turned on through the central pipe 7 with suflicient force to violently atomize the liquids against the breaker-wall 1 of the cone 12, and at the same time steam is admitted through the surrounding pipes 8, which forms asheet of steam around the combustion, with the air passing in between the' surrounding and central pipes, which may he either by the induced draft or forced by other means. The products of this combustion are brought together in the cone 12 and pass out through its top into the checker-work above, into and through the cupolas B, C, and scrubber D, and through the pump. When the cu olas B and C have become heated, as desire the fan G is set in motion and a part of the gas is taken from cupola G and passed into cupola B, causing a continuous circulation between and in the two cupolas,

which current meets and mixes with the heat.

ed products arising from the generator. The gas leaving cupola C enters the condenser and scrubber at the bottom, into which water is introduced at the top, which falls through the perforated pans in the form of spray. The hot gas as it enters the cupola converts the spray into steam, which mixes and mingles with the gas, condensing as it rises by meeting the cooler water falling from above, cleanses the .gas of excessive carbon or una'ssociated tar, which asses down and out with the fallin water tlirough the pipes at the bottom of'd) into the trap G below, the operation being fully controlled without in terruption by the continuous introduction carbureting cupolas.

- of the gas-making materials in the generator A and the action of the pump F and the fan G, resulting in the continuous manufacture with the resubmission of gas to the action and effect of the heats of eneration and the Ar ditional carbureting materials may be added or introduced in the circulation at any point between ,the'combr stion-chamber in the generator and scrubber D, preferably immediate above the entrance of the generator as to cu ola B, and also at a point between t e cupo as in the connecting-pipes. When oil or other gas-making materials in suitable form,

together with steam and air, are introduced in the'bottom of A and ignited, the roducts of this combustion pass upward into which is filled with brick checker-Work, the gases so generated ascend through this cupola and pass into C, also filled with brick checker work, at the top moving downward to the opening into the scrubber D, thence upward and through the pipes provided, controlled in its circulation by a pump F, attached there to. During this circulation the fan G is started, which takes a part of the gas from C at the bottom and forces it into B at the bottom, thus forming a circulation around and through B and C. It is plain that if the pump F, attached to the lead-awaypipes, he stopped, a continuous circuit of the entire current would be maintained so long as the fan G continued in motion; but to assure a circulation from the generator a part of the gas must be removed by the pump F. Therefore it would be impossible to pass all of the gas made in the generator through the fan,

, and it is not so intended, only so much of it as will brin the standard of the wholo'up to the requirei excellence. The refractory hydrocarbons by this circulation are again subjected to the heats arisin I from the generator to dissociate them an are again passed through the carbureters to take up freshlyliberated hydrogen in the gas coming from the generator, and so on continuing the operation until the absorption or dissolution of the refractory elements are satisfactorily completed, which is ascertained by the quality of the gas coming from the pump, which may be run fast or slow to govern the output, and the fan may be run slow or fast to maintain the desired current inside the cupolas. It is well known that hydrogen gas is much lighter than any other of the gases generated in this manner, that its tendency is to rapidly rise as fast as liberated, seeking the highest point or top of the cupola orcupolas, and although checker-work is introduced in cupolas to arrest and mix it with vaporizingcarbon much of it escapes contact and remains as free hydrogen. To obviate this I have introduced the second vertical carbureting-cupola C, which admits the generated gases at the top and discharges the same at the bottom. It is obvious that the unassociated hydrogen must mix with the generated vapors in passing downward, as it cannot move faster than the heavier gases and in passage through the checker-work of this cupola it is intimately min led or mixed with the vaporized carbon, t e pur ose of this second carburetor or cu ola C eing to force the vapors or generate gases under gasifying heat to'move as nearly as possible together in passing through the brick checker-work with which the cupola is filled. It may be that the passage of the gases from the enerator through carbureters B and C will 0 ten form a desired combination or result in a desired quality, in which case the gas may be taken off at the bottom of O and the motion of the fan G may be suspended; but to more completely volatilize and combine the heavy h d'rocarbons and diminish the tar roducts t e greater portion of the gases shou d be passed,

y means ofthe fan G, from'C to B and again be subjected to the heats from the enerator and the action of the carbureters and C and such circulation should be maintained and such portions of the whole passedthrough B and C as .will produce the desired result in the as drawn off by the pump F, the object eing to a ain submit or resubmit re: peatedly the re actory particles or elements in the gas as made in the generator to the,

. the same or a different relation from the two carbureters, as shown, not to omit therefrom the carbon-supply pipes 9 and to fill the same or partly l t e same with refractory i material of a different nature and in a diiier entarran ement, nor to connect the two carbureters y straight pipe connection between their sides at or near the bottom ends of said carbureters instead of as shown, or to employ any other well-known form of scrub.- bers or substitute for the exhaust-pump. It

is also obviousthat any other well-known form or arrangement of. retort than that shown may be used without a departure from the spirit of my invention, and so, also,

1 as to the form and arrangement of the parts constituting the injector for the hydrocar-- bons, steam and-air, or either of them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gas-producing apparatus the combination w th a cpas-generator of a plurality-of carbureters an means connectin said generator and carbureters, whereby t e as-discharge from the generator ascends t ough "one of said carbureters and descends through the other carbureter, and aportion of said gas is returned. to the first carbureter beforeits'dlscharge to a'scrubber or other receptacle, substantial] as described.

2. In a gas-pro ucing apparatus, the combination with a gas-'ge erator, a scrubber, a' pluralit of carbureter between and connect mg' wit said generator and scrubber and with each other,'of means whereby gases discharged from the generator are caused to alternately and re ectively ascend and descendthrough sai carbureters and a portion offsald' ases are returned to thefirst carbureter be ore discharging into the scrubber at j saaaee or near the bottom thereof, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-producing apparatus, the combination. with a generator of a plurality of carbureters, means for discharging the gas from the up or end of the generator into the lower end oi connecting the upper ends of said carbureters, means for discharging the gas from the lower end of the second carbureter, means for inducing a continuous circulation of gas from the generator through a plurality of carbureters, means connectin the lowerends of both care bureters with eac other and means inducing a return of gas from one carbureter to another simultaneously with a discharge of a portion of the gas entlrel from said carbureters onward to its final estination, substantially as described.

one of said carbureters, means 4. In a gas-producing apparatus a plurality of carbureters in combination with means connecting said carbureters and means for producing a-continuous circulation of gas through saidcarbureters and simultaneously therewitha return of a portion of. said gas from one of said carbureters to the other, substantially as described.

5,. In a gas-producing apparatus, a generator,'a"plural1ty of carbureters and a scrub-. her and means whereby gases are discharged from the ugper part of the generator at or near the ottom of the carbureter next thereto, and from the upper part of said carbureter into the upper part of the adjacent carbureter and therefrom near the bottom thereof into the scrubber at or near its lower end in combination with a pipe connecting said carbureters at a point below the sup ly and discharge connections thereof, and a blower arranged in said pipe or passage whereby a portion of the gases in the second carbureter are returned to the first carbu-' reter in the path of the gases discharging from the generator, substantially as described. 1

6. In a gas-producing apparatus a plutheir upper ends in combination with a generator structure discharging from its upper end into and at or near the'bottom of the adjacent carbureter, said generator being provided with a cone forming the to of its combustion-chamber, and with a ,0 ecker-work supported bysaid cone and surrounded by a supplemental combustion-chamber and means for supplyin hydrocarbons to'both of said combustion-chambers and also air and steam to, either combustion-chamber, sub-1 stantiallyas described. v v 4 JACOB S. SMITH. Witnesses:

- ALLSTADT A. MUHER.

.rality of carbureters connected at or near 

